Gas sockets are used to provide a connection between a gas piping installed in a stationary way in buildings and a gas-operated appliance such as a gas cooker or tumble drier. The gas socket ensures easy connection between gas consumers and the gas piping.
Such a gas socket is described in DE 100 61 653 C1. This gas socket consists of a base body with integrated inlet port to establish a fixed connection with the stationary gas piping, an outlet port screwed into the base body and a base plate surrounding the external shell of the outlet port at a defined distance for the reception of the gas connecting plug and otherwise bolted with the base body. Furthermore the base plate serves as a stop on a wall to which it is also fastened. A hood is fastened to the base plate which, when the gas connecting plug is not plugged in, closes the connecting opening of the outlet socket with a cover, and the cover is provided with a locking device. This locking device is unlocked by the first insertion movement of the gas connecting plug to which the locking of the cover has been adapted. With the help of at least one further movement of the gas connecting plug the cover releases the connecting opening of the outlet port for the connection of the gas connecting plug.
Another solution described in DE 101 51 995 C1 consists of a gas socket provided with location adjustment of the gas socket related to the external surface of the wall thus providing a balancing of location deviations in relation to the stationary gas piping. For this purpose, the gas socket is equipped with a housing, a shutoff device and a fastening element. The housing is provided with an inlet socket for establishing a fixed connection of the gas socket with a stationary gas piping. The shutoff device is used to connect a gas connecting plug, and the internal gas path is not released until external tightness has been established. The shutoff device protrudes into the housing in a gas-tight way with a tube-shaped nozzle provided with a collar on the side facing the housing, which is limited by a stop groove. A spring-loaded retaining ring ensures the sliding of the nozzle into the housing, while sliding out of the nozzle from the housing is not possible. The fastening element is connected with the wall on the one hand and with the shutoff device on the other, while the shutoff device is slewable towards the housing along the longitudinal axis of the nozzle after the fastening element has been detached on one side.
The disadvantage of these two solutions is that they can only be used as in-wall or flush-mounted installations. If however, the decision in favour of a gas appliance is made after completion of the building, the laying of the gas pipeline within the wall, if possible at all, is only possible with high effort and cost. In such cases the gas piping is normally installed on the wall and requires a surface-mounted gas socket.
A further embodiment of a gas socket is described in DE 35 19 933 A1. Here the gas socket is equipped with a tube-shaped gas passage body rotatable in the housing, for the reception of a gas connecting plug, and an inlet duct installed at a right angle to the gas passage body. The shutoff device consists of a ball rotatable around the longitudinal axis of the gas passage body, with a right-angle ball duct. The inlet end of the gas passage body protrudes into the outlet end of the ball duct and is coupled with the ball in a torque-proof way. With its diametrically opposed sides in the longitudinal direction of the inlet duct the ball adheres to two elastic O-rings of the housing, where one of the O-rings is arranged at a pipe joint installed in the inlet duct with which the O-ring can be pressed against the ball.
This solution can be used for surface-mounted installations. The disadvantage, however, is that installation also includes the visible area of the gas socket. This involves the danger that up to the final completion of a room, damage such as scratches may occur which has a negative impact on the outer appearance of the gas socket. A further disadvantage is that it is not possible to adapt or replace the visible part of the gas socket during subsequent renovation and repair work.